1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
getting the ungainly couch up the stairs was a real chore
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
the tree cutter was crushing any unlucky petunias that lay in the path of his ungainly tread
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of ungainly
In 2022, the Albany Dems bypassed the IRC and drew an ugly ungainly district running around the shores of the Long Island Sound from Suffolk across Nassau, Queens, the Bronx and Westchester all the way to the Connecticut border, an unconstitutional gerrymander.
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2024
This is an ungainly and unpalatable status quo, especially given the litany of war crimes perpetrated by Assad’s regime, but the further consolidation of power under Assad would still be worse for the people living in Syria’s northwest.
—Jeremy Konyndyk, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2023
Recall that the current name of our baseball stadium was an ungainly compromise between then-owner Eli Jacobs and Gov. William Donald Schaefer.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2024
Except when a whipping was required or when someone felt like ridiculing me for my ungainly height or my unfortunate hair or my dubious parentage.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ungainly 
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2024
This is an ungainly and unpalatable status quo, especially given the litany of war crimes perpetrated by Assad’s regime, but the further consolidation of power under Assad would still be worse for the people living in Syria’s northwest.
—Jeremy Konyndyk, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2023
Recall that the current name of our baseball stadium was an ungainly compromise between then-owner Eli Jacobs and Gov. William Donald Schaefer.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2024
Except when a whipping was required or when someone felt like ridiculing me for my ungainly height or my unfortunate hair or my dubious parentage.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ungainly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungainly
Adjective
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Where Huang’s wardrobe for Oz emphasizes his position as a clumsy social climber, aspiring to classic mafia masculinity but too crass to fit in with the old-money elite, Sofia represents a different kind of outsider.Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
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Jessica Carter Altman always thought of herself as clumsy.Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Jennings read the clue with a slightly awkward tone, then immediately apologized to Heather after it was answered.Gabriella Rudy, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Krieps, playing Jill possessed by Elizabeth, gets slighter colder, more rigid, and more awkward.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Anyone 35 or older will remember these toys being chunkier and unwieldy but, thankfully, times have changed.Toby Rose, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
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Professional models can reach well over 20 feet, but these can be unwieldy and not really suitable for homeowners.Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Here, Finnigan is gawky and eager in a T-shirt and jeans, with a few helpful props on hand, determined to tick all the boxes just so.Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
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In the latter, there’s Anthony’s gawky and innately likable Dylan, Kezii Curtis as the laugh-out-loud hilarious Spud, and Chiara Aurelia’s fearless Jordy.Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 18 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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What to Consider The zipper doesn’t run the length of the sleeping bag, which helps with heat retention but makes getting in and out a bit more cumbersome.Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2024
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The more cumbersome way is for whoever is doing the filing to accumulate all HOA director's and officer's addresses and images of their identifying documents (again, driver's license or passport) and manually enter it.Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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As Mayer's car pushed into Retzlaff's from behind, the unsteady contact propelled Retzlaff into the outside wall, with Josh Williams striking Mayer from behind and subsequently being hit by Chandler Smith.David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
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What this general move toward more daring design says about the end of 2024 is that this continues to be an unsteady year for watches, both financially and aesthetically.Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The violence perpetrated by pro-ISIS groups in this region has been episodic and uncoordinated, but the underlying trend is clear—ISIS has shifted away from its initial concern with sovereignty over land and people, moving, in the process, toward a decentralized, global insurgency model.Zachary Abuza, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2019
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Among the latest victims was a 70-year-old woman whose body was found more than 12 kilometers (seven miles) from her house The slow and uncoordinated response to the crisis has infuriated many in Valencia.Atika Shubert, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near ungainly
Cite this Entry
“Ungainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungainly. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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